Cody's Hero
by PenPatronus
Summary: Jayden, Antonio and Cody are captured by Deker, who plans to torture and kill Jayden. Drama, hurt / comfort.


**Summary: **Jayden, Antonio and Cody are captured by Deker, who plans to torture and kill the Red Ranger. Jayden / Mia, angst, drama, hurt / comfort.

**Cody's Hero  
**PenPatronus

The last thing Cody remembered was going camping. Jayden and Antonio volunteered to join his Boy Scout troop when they needed extra chaperones. Cody had never looked forward to something so much in his life. Antonio planned to teach him to fish and Jayden promised to play paintball. He couldn't tell any of his friends that they were Power Rangers but, heck, Jayden and Antonio were super cool no matter what. Cody remembered zipping up his sleeping bag and then, well, turns out it's true that everything "went dark" after a hit on the head. He woke up in a cage in an abandoned warehouse that smelled like ash and sawdust. The dirty gray walls, floor and high ceiling swallowed what meager light made it through the dusty windows. Dozens of refrigerator-sized boxes and barrels lined the walls and scattered across the room – two Samuraizers perched on one of them. Antonio was in the cage with him. He lay on his back with his wrists and ankles tied up. One eye was black and blue. Cody shook him, called his name, but the Gold Ranger didn't wake up. He shook the cage walls, then, and looked around the room.

That's when he saw Jayden.

Jayden hung from one of the ceiling rafters by his wrists. Rusty chains connected to tight leather cuffs lifted him a foot into the air. A pool of blood covered the floor directly beneath Jayden's toes. "Jayden – Jayden!" Cody yelled at his friend. He took his watch off his wrist, squeezed his arm through the chain-link fence and threw it. Cody aimed for Jayden's stomach and was lucky enough to graze his knee. Jayden lifted his chin off his chest, blinked and groaned.

"_Jayden_!"

Jayden squinted towards the cage. "Cody?" He licked his lips and flexed his arms. "Cody, what's going on?"

Cody ordered himself not to cry. "I – I'm not sure. My head hurts. I don't know where we are."

"Is Antonio ok?"

"He's sleeping."

"Is he breathing?"

"I think so… Yes."

"Have you seen anybody else?"

"Not yet. I just woke up. Jayden… I'm scared."

"Me too, buddy," Jayden said. That was one thing Cody liked about Jayden. He didn't know many grownups willing to admit they were scared. Jayden looked around the room and tested his bonds. He stretched his toes but couldn't touch the ground. Rope encircled his fingers so there was no hope of climbing up the chain. "All right, Cody, I'm going to need your help, ok? You're officially an honorary Power Ranger."

Cody gasped and clapped his hands together. "Can I be red, like you? Oh no, wait, blue is my favorite color. Do you think Kevin would switch to purple or something?"

"Silence, boy!" a voice yelled from the other side of the room. Cody watched as a tall man emerged from a shadowy corner. He had long hair, combat boots and wore what looked like a white bathrobe. His red sword was as long as Cody was tall.

"Deker?" Jayden gasped. "Whatever's going on, leave Cody and Antonio out of this. They –"

Cody cried out when the man named Deker punched Jayden in the mouth. Jayden spit blood, and then a tooth. He lifted his legs to kick Deker away but endured a punch to his stomach. "Leave him alone, you bully!" Cody yelled. Deker ignored him. He leapt into the air and kicked Jayden in the chest, right above his heart. Cody wasn't sure, but he thought he heard something crack.

"Why are you doing this?" Jayden asked when he regained his breath. "What happened to a fair duel? Where's the honor in kidnapping and killing in cold blood?"

Nothing unnerved Cody more than the fact that Deker's face was expressionless. "I'm not just going to kill you, Red Ranger," he growled, "I'm going to torture you."

Jayden spit more blood, which made Cody a bit nauseous. "Why?"

"Because now I know who you are." Deker started to walk in a circle around Jayden. He reminded Cody of a shark circling its prey. "I know about your family, about what your Shiba ancestors did to me!"

Cody frowned. He was a guardian! His father read him stories from the Archives, not Dr. Seuss! He'd never heard about the Shiba's and a person named Deker.

"Serrator told me everything." Deker got closer to Jayden with each rotation. "He told me that your family tortured and killed my wife and children and then cursed me! It's your ancestors' fault that I'm a half-Nighlock with no memories. It's _your fault_!" Deker grabbed Jayden by the throat and lifted him another six inches into the air. "He also told me that you're the only one who knows how to break the curse. Tell me. Tell me, now."

Suddenly, Antonio groaned. Cody knelt beside the Gold Ranger while keeping one ear aimed at the unfolding conversation.

"I… don't… know…" Jayden said with the last breath in his body. Deker let go and Jayden dropped, deadweight, hurting his wrists. "Everything Serrator told you was a lie."

"I don't believe you. How do I break the curse?"

"I can't tell you what I don't know!"

Cody had to look away when Deker punched and kicked Jayden again. Antonio woke up, then. In a whisper, Cody told him everything he knew, and then helped him sit up.

"No wonder I felt compelled to duel you," Deker hissed. "The first time I saw you I knew our destinies were connected. Now I know why!" Jayden cried out when Deker's boot crashed into his thigh.

"Hey, asshole!"

Cody jumped. Antonio yelled right in his ear. The Gold Ranger gripped the fence as if strangling it. His face was pale and wrinkled with rage.

"If you touch him again I'll break your neck!" Antonio shouted.

Deker's slim lips twitched in amusement. "I'll just have to focus on you two, then." He took a knife out of his pocket and approached the cage. "Perhaps the Red Ranger will tell me what I want to know to keep his friends alive."

Cody shrunk away until his body landed against the back of the cage.

"No!" Jayden shouted. He sounded like he had something in his mouth and was trying to speak around it. Blood, Cody realized. "Do what you want with me, Deker, just leave them alone."

"As you wish," Deker obliged. He about-faced and aimed the knife at Jayden.

Antonio put his body between Cody and Deker. "Don't look, kid," he whispered.

Cody realized what was happening a moment before Jayden screamed. He buried his face in Antonio's shoulder and sobbed. Antonio's entire body shook like there was an earthquake in his stomach.

"Tell me – tell me how to break the curse!" Deker shouted every time Jayden inhaled between screams. "_Tell me_!"

"It's no use, Deker," said a new voice. Cody looked up and saw a tall Nighlock stroll into the room.

"Serrator," Antonio whispered.

"It's no use. He won't tell you anything. Just kill him."

"Why are you here?" Deker asked.

Serrator shrugged. "I'm just a big fan of yours who wants a front row seat." He walked up to Jayden and made a tut-tut-tut sound like he was disappointed. "Not your best work. Needs more blood."

Deker chuckled. He tossed the little knife aside and unsheathed his red sword. "I agree."

Cody forced himself to look at Jayden, then immediately regretted it. His friend hung there like – what was the phrase? A rag doll? Bruises were already visible between the slashes – shallow and deep – caused by the knife.

_The knife. _

Deker didn't pay attention when he dropped the weapon. He tossed it aside, casually, and it slid to a stop not far from the cage. Cody and Antonio exchanged looks and simultaneously thrust their hands through the narrow holes in the cage. Antonio's muscular arms were too wide to fit past his elbow but Cody's long, slim ones were so small that he was able to slide through up to his shoulder.

His fingertip was still a few inches away from the hilt.

"Push!" he told Antonio. "Push me!"

Antonio braced his shoes against the back of the cage and positioned his shoulder against Cody's back. He pushed as hard as he could and, luckily, the metal warped just far enough for Cody to reach the knife. He cut the ropes around Antonio's wrists and ankles, then handed it over. Antonio found the metal hinges of the small door and startled whittling away at them with the blade.

"Serrator just wants you to do his dirty work," Jayden was saying to Deker. "Don't be his puppet."

"I have no reason to believe you."

"Do you have a reason to believe him?"

"Come on… come on…" Antonio whispered to the hinge. Finally he sawed far enough through the metal to bend the chain-links. Antonio held the flap open for Cody and then crawled out as well. They ducked behind the nearest barrel and prayed that the Nighlocks' attention stayed on Jayden.

"I have a plan, Cody," said Antonio. "Will you help me?"

Cody nodded. He was too afraid to speak.

Antonio took a deep, balancing breath. "I'm going for the Samuraizers. I'll grab mine and toss Jayden's to you. I need you to get help from the other Rangers, ok? Speed dial one. Tell them everything you know and then I want you to find a place to hide and stay there, all right?"

Cody often tried to imagine what it was like to be a Power Ranger. He'd never considered a scenario like this, one where Jayden and Antonio's lives depended on him. No wonder his father was always so serious. "I'm ready," he squeaked.

Antonio smiled. "Here we go: three, two, _one_!"

The Gold Ranger leapfrogged over the barrel, sprinted to another one, jumped and grabbed the morphers from a third. With a dancer's precision he tossed Jayden's Samuraizer and morphed at the same time. Cody pressed "1," situated the cell phone against his ear and looked up in time to watch Antonio's surprise attack. The barracuda blade disarmed Deker and knocked Serrator to the ground.

"Jayden – Jayden?" a voice gasped in Cody's ear. "Oh, baby, thank goodness you're all right, I've missed you so –"

"Mia! It's Cody."

"Cody? What's going on? Where are Jayden and Antonio?" Cody explained everything with the speed of an auctioneer. To his shock and relief, when he told Mia that they were in a warehouse, she said, "We see it."

"See it? Where are you?"

"Ninety seconds away. The gap alarm went off and we've been tracking Serrator for an hour, hoping he'd lead us to you. Hang in there, Cody, we're coming."

Cody hung up and pocketed the morpher. He risked a glance over the barrel and, without thinking, shouted, "Antonio, _duck_!"

The Gold Ranger obeyed, and narrowly avoided losing an arm to Deker's sword. He pounced on Serrator and pinned him to the ground. Half a second before the barracuda blade descended, Deker shouted, "_FREEZE_!"

Everyone froze, including Cody. Even his blood felt cold. Antonio held his weapon against Serrator's throat and Deker pushed his against Jayden's. "Back off," Deker growled, "back off or I'll kill him right now."

"Don't, Antonio," Jayden whispered. His face was bone white and he only had the strength to open his eyes half-way. "Serrator dead is worth more than me alive…"

Ever so slightly, Antonio rotated his head and – as best Cody could tell through the Ranger's helmet – made eye contact. Cody realized that Antonio was looking at him for help, for the answer to an unspoken question. A question about his teammates. Cody nodded and did his best to show, in his expression, that the others were on their way. Antonio sheathed his sword and stepped backwards. Serrator rolled to his feet and snarled. He took out his sword and leveled it with Antonio's heart. "Kill him," he ordered Deker.

Serrator and Deker raised their weapons. Antonio raised his arm to block the shot. Cody yelled. Jayden blinked at Deker through a frown. And then his eyes rolled back into his head and his entire body went limp.

Folded Zords soared into the building like a swarm of bees. They head-butted Serrator and Deker, which gave Antonio time to put his body between Jayden and their enemies. The other Rangers followed – two through the door and two through the windows. To everyone's surprise, the Nighlocks didn't put up a fight. Serrator was drying out and Deker, apparently, was satisfied that he had done what he came to do. They bolted for freedom.

"They're getting away!" Cody yelled.

"Doesn't matter!" Antonio yelled. Mia and Emily ran over and he de-morphed and embraced them. "Good timing," he said.

"We're fashionable girls," said Mia. "Antonio, where… where…"

The girls spotted Jayden, then. Emily's hands flew to her mouth and covered a gasp. Mia went pale and then her cheeks flushed bright red with shock and anger. She ran for Jayden but Antonio intercepted her. "Is he alive?" she demanded.

"Mike, Kevin, help me get him down!" Antonio shouted. Kevin used his sword to slide the chains above Jayden's head. Mike and Antonio gently lowered Jayden to the ground, and then Emily and Mia wrestled the cuffs off. Antonio pressed his ear against Jayden's lips and confirmed that he was breathing.

"Is… is he ok?" Cody asked in a small voice. He found an untouched square inch of skin on Jayden's chest and gently poked him. "Jayden? Jayden, come on, you're the Red Ranger, you have to be all right!" Cody began to cry. He threw his arms around Jayden's chest and hugged him. "You're my hero."

A long minute passed. The Rangers were so quiet that birds could be heard in the forest outside. And then, suddenly, Jayden lifted his arm and wrapped it around Cody's shoulders. "You did a good job, Ranger," he whispered.

Everyone sighed with relief. Cody laughed and squeezed Jayden tighter, and then Mike pried him off a moment later when Jayden winced. Mia leaned down, pressed her smile against Jayden's lips while holding eye contact with him, and then gently kissed him. "We'll get you to a hospital," she whispered. "You'll be ok."

Antonio put his right hand on Jayden's left shoulder. "Let me help you up, _hermano._" Jayden nodded. He didn't have the strength to hold himself up, so the best he could do was not struggle as the others led him to the Zords outside.

"Thanks, Antonio," Jayden said. "I would still be hanging there if it weren't for you."

Antonio shook his head fiercely. "Thank Cody. He freed me."

"Yeah! And Jayden made me an honorary Ranger!" Cody said. He punched the air and then kicked at an invisible enemy. "Kevin, you're not too attached to the color blue, are you?"

**The End**

Don't forget to review!

If you like this, check out my other Power Rangers: Samurai stories, "Marked for Blood" and its sequel, "Destined for Death."


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